Universal Children's Day, on 20 November, is marked each year to promote the well-being of children. Countries all over the world celebrate the day in different ways to support children's welfare and children's rights.

"We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue to be the most universally cherished aspiration of humankind." -- Report of the Secretary General (2001)

See how UN Volunteers play a key role in advocating for and protecting children.

Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo: “We often forget that child labor is behind certain consumer goods such as cocoa and mobile phones. One of the main challenges is to fight against the ills of globalization,” Read

Elbasan, Albania: Volunteering for the first time in a summer camp for children, she saw it as a kind of psychological and social training for children, helping them to socialize. “This helps them to overcome shyness and to express themselves through games and different activities.” Read

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: The goal of this training was to promote the participation of parents with children under two years old who had not been registered yet. Without personal identification documents children have no right to nationality or access to state institutions. This is a common situation in the “bateyes”. Read

Dohuk, Iraq: She's only four years old, but Syrian refugee Magi can't shake off the sounds and images of war that forced her family to flee the embattled northern city of Aleppo and seek shelter in northern Iraq. Read

Oruro, Bolivia: Through our work with children we provide information and raise awareness to help them better understand all the consequences of our daily consumption. We presented the alternatives we have as citizens to stop ourselves from being part of the problem and start becoming part of the solution. Read